Items of furniture are very often supported above the floor by a plurality of support legs, with a foot attached at the lowermost end of each such support leg. Typically, each foot is made from a rubber, plastic or similar material designed to minimize damage to the floor and to minimize the propensity of the item of furniture to skid along the floor.
Most such feet comprise a foot pad having a lower planar surface surrounded by a foot pad perimeter. To minimize damage caused to the floor and to minimize the propensity of the item of furniture to skid along the floor, it is important that the lower foot pad surface be disposed flat against the floor, rather than having only an edge disposed in contact with the floor. When an item of furniture is supported solely by the edge of the foot pad on one of its support leg feet, the pressure forces created against the floor along that edge can cause damage to the floor. Moreover, where an item of furniture is supported solely by an edge on one of its feet, the lack of surface contact between the floor and that foot pad allow the foot to be easily skidded along the floor.
Manufacturing furniture such that the foot pads of the feet supporting the furniture are always disposed flat against the floor is not easily accomplished. This is especially the case where the legs are downwardly disposed at an angle with respect to the vertical, such as in many tables and chairs. In such items of furniture, manufacturers find it difficult to assure that the foot pads on each of the furniture legs rests flat against the floor, because in the manufacturing process it is difficult to assure that the angle of the support legs does not vary from item to item.
The problems associated with trying to ensure that the foot pads of furniture support feet are disposed flat against a floor is a considerable problem where the item of furniture is a chair having sled-type legs. Such sled legs have a downwardly directed portion and a laterally directed, lowermost portion. The downwardly directed portion is attached to the laterally directed, lowermost portion at an elbow. The laterally directed, lowermost portion is disposed horizontally proximate to a floor surface. Feet for each sled leg usually comprises a pair of feet, one attached at the elbow of the sled leg and one attached to the terminal of the laterally directed, lowermost portion. Typically, such sled legs are splayed outwardly from the seating surface towards the floor. Such disposition of the sled legs makes it exceedingly difficult to provide feet for the sled legs which consistently are disposed flat against the surface of the floor.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved furniture leg foot which minimizes the above-described problems in the prior art.